by Rick Bretz
The 2013 New Year is approaching and well might be here by the time you read this. With that obvious statement, I thought it would be a useless exercise in listing the best years human kind has produced. I’ve picked years with the important inventions and developments with an understandably subjective slant.
1800– Invention of the battery; this event is a vital point in history. This could well be the point where civilization begins. Without batteries for everything from smart phones, remotes, and automobiles, humankind would be lost and forced to talk to each other.
Congress holds first session in an unfinished capitol building. I could make a nasty comment about congressional recesses, unfinished government business such as budget approvals, and fiscal cliffs but I’ll refrain from easy targets.
Washington, DC officially established as nation’s capitol.
Library of Congress established with initial $5000 funding. After the War of 1812 when the British destroyed much of the library, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his vast collection of books to establish the library again in 1815. He sold his books to the library for $29,950.
Spain cedes Louisiana to France (Setting up the later purchase of the territory from France in 1803 during the Jefferson administration).
1770-The invention of the eraser; if this event had not occurred, many students taking class during pre-computer days would have been forced to submit first drafts. For many of us, the eraser was an essential tool in math class.
1966-The development of Fiber Optic Cable, perfected by George Hockham and Charles Kao, gave Internet providers the ability to transmit massive amounts of data through optic fibers. This is a huge development in our ability to watch YouTube videos.
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Freedom of Information Act. This act lets someone request information from any government agency so that they can “sanitize” it. Viewer can see this process in any number of documentaries when the host shows the audience an official government document with big blocks of black covering vital information to the story.
Star Trek premieres on NBC-TV. The birth of “Trekkie” Nation and a movie franchise.
1978– With the first Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, launched on February 22, 1978, the world was on its way to traveling without maps. The system was fully integrated with the 24th satellite launched in 1993. It was just a matter of time before the public tossed the map in the back seat and mounted the latest and greatest GPS unit. Today older people can brag that they used to find restaurants and streets by using maps and their internal compasses in three feet of snow. The GPS technology saves lives today by finding victims more easily. Moreover, the industry also creates thousands of jobs worldwide. In addition to those positives, it almost single-handedly eliminated arguments between spouses while traveling the nation’s highways. Yes, it was a very good year.
1859–Internal Combustion Engine developed from a steam engine by Belgian inventor Etienne Lenoir. It was the spark that created road trips through the ages. With Henry Ford perfecting the assembly line production system, cheaper cars would give people the ability to go mobile. Humankind would invent the hangover later.
In related news, the first successful oil well was drilled near Titusville, PA.
1564-The invention of the lead pencil. It must have been messy writing with a quill all those years, with ink dripping all over the place. What is so perplexing to me is that someone didn’t invent the erasure until 1770-people used bread to erase mistakes instead.
1848-The light went on in Joseph Swan’s head and he invented the light bulb. With the help of Thomas Edison and some electric current, soon all of America and the world would be able to get up at night without banging their knees on the night stand.
Gas lights first installed in the White House during the James Polk administration.
1897–Swiss Army Knife. The original “McGyver” before there was such a thing. The only thing this knife doesn’t have is a paper clip and some string. The “Offiziersmesser” or officer’s knife was developed in Schwyz, Switzerland by a surgical equipment manufacturer who didn’t like the fact that Germany supplied the Swiss Army with its knives. US Army soldiers popularized the knife and started calling it the “Swiss Army Knife.” Today the company, Victorinox, makes millions of them and sells them worldwide.
Thomas Edison patents his Kinetograph (movie camera)– later first movie critic invented.
Notable Links:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jefflib.html
http://www.timbercon.com/history-of-fiber-optics/
pastparallelpaths 